2025 has been a banner year for video games, with more than a few titles competing for Game of the Year; the indie darling puzzle game Blue Prince, the role-playing renaissance of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and the bold vision of Death Stranding 2, among others. But amidst the flood of big titles, one unassuming masterpiece clawed its way to success — and simultaneously saved its developers from bankruptcy in the process.
The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy is a collaborative effort between two of gaming’s most inventive developers, Danganronpa creator Kazutaka Kodaka and the author behind the cult classic Zero Escape and AI: The Somnium Files, Kotaro Uchikoshi. This dream-team combined their powers to create one of the most startingly ambitious games of the decade — and it paid off in spades.
